Never before has technology advanced at such a blistering pace. And yet there's a difference between the latest gadget and innovations that truly move society forward, whether that's driving down the cost of solar power, proving the existence of water on the Moon, designing earthquake-proof buildings or finding a cure for cancer. "We're now a society that's 100 per cent dependent on science," says this year's Leadership Award winner, J Craig Venter. We agree. And so we salute the human spirit behind the achievements that really matter....